


Janice tells Lawrie

by Corinnathepoet



Category: The Marlows - Antonia Forest
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:20:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26129455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corinnathepoet/pseuds/Corinnathepoet
Summary: In "End of Term", Antonia Forest has the characters Lawrie, Nicola and Janice perform in the nativity play held in the Minster. For Lawrie and Janice, this is one of the highlights of their school career. But it nearly doesn't happen for Lawrie. All characters and inspiration come from Antonia Forest. I have huge respect for Bisky Bat, Ankaret and Constant Learner who have so imaginatively added to the Marlow canon.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Janice tells Lawrie

Lawrie was sitting glumly in a corner of the Choir’s dressing room, while the others were flinging clothes in all directions and applying makeup. Janice was surprised to see that Lawrie was neither crying not bemoaning her unkind fate. Lawrie looked up and saw her. Janice had never liked her so well as at that moment. There was actually a little character to the face, resignation, and a sorrow Janice found moving.  
“Lawrie, come with me, please,” said Janice quietly.  
No-one else took particular notice as Lawrie stood up and followed Janice out of the room. Probably it was just to give her a message from her family or some such. Lawrie wondered if she was already expelled.  
Janice shut the door and the two of them stood in the drafty corridor, deep in the recesses of the Minster’s hallways. You could hear a suppressed thrum of noise from the cathedral – the noise of hundreds of people sitting, moving, greeting, shuffling.  
“Lawrie, Nicola is singing the solos again, now that Esther has gone home. They would like you to be the Shepherd Boy. You will have to change quickly and be ready.” Janice wasted no time in telling Lawrie what she had given up thinking to hear.  
“Don’t, Janice, it’s not fair. I thought it was going to be me finally, and then it wasn’t, and you shouldn’t tell me stories,” said Lawrie defiantly, through her misery. A big girl like Janice to make fun of her at a time like this. It was mean. Where was Nick? She had to get ready.  
Janice groaned, exasperated with this belligerent scrap in front of her. She gently put her hands on Lawrie’s shoulders. “Lawrie, listen to me. Esther has gone. Nicola has to sing. They can’t trust Helen Bagshaw to do the Shepherd Boy. They want you to do it. Nicola has said you can. Can you? Will you?”  
Under that firm gaze, and pressed as she was to gaze straight into Janice’s eyes, Lawrie finally hoped she could believe her.  
“Does Miss Cromwell know? And Miss Kempe? And Dr Herrick?”  
“Of course, stupid, who do you think sent me? Dr Herrick doesn’t care who it is, as long as it is done well. And they hope you can do it well. Now you need to get ready.”  
“Thank you, Janice,” said Lawrie quietly and unexpectedly.  
“She really means it,” Janice thought. “Nothing to do with me,” she said, “you can thank your sister. And that play last year. Now scoot!” Janice suddenly turned Lawrie firmly and gave her a push in the direction of the door.  
It was as if a different child turned back to smile at her, before, rushing now, Lawrie turned to burst in among her companions.  
Janice then remembered that she too was in the play, and not yet in costume. And for once, she was going to be able to show them what she could do. And they would have to sit and listen. Janice was rather looking forward to that.

**Author's Note:**

> I am always intrigued by the vindictive suppression of Janice Scott by the teachers in Antonia Forest's Marlow family novels. So when Janice sings in the Minster, and has the task of informing Lawrie that, finally, she gets to play the Shepherd Boy, I thought it was worth a brief homage.


End file.
